1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the game of golf, and in particular to a computerized golf handicap system.
2. Description of the Related Art
All active golfing members of golf country clubs possess a paper or cardboard membership identification and handicap index card. In most of the country the handicap index cards are issued by the United States Golf Association (USGA) via various local associations such as the Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA) to the latter's individual member golf clubs. This is known as the Golf Handicap Information Network (GHIN). The major non-participant of this system is Southern California. In this area the handicap cards are issued by Integrated Data Corporation (IDC) via the Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) to the latter's individual member golf clubs. This is known to a lesser degree as the IDC system. Both the USGA and IDC have a computerized database system for tracking, calculating and generating each golfer's handicap index on a monthly basis.
Typically, a handicap index card has only a 12-month capacity from January to December and must be reissued to all card holders at the beginning of each year. Each month a golfer's current handicap index must be written on the handicap index card under the correct monthly heading and validated with a special stamp by the handicap chairman or other official of the home course issuing the handicap index card or in some cases by a head professional employed at that particular golf country club. It is usually inconvenient, difficult, and time consuming to locate the proper golf club official or golf professional to update the handicap index card.
At present, there exists a manual method and a computerized method for inputting a golfer's scores into a golf association's handicap database system. In the manual method, a golfer locates the score posting sheet of the golf country club and writes in his membership identification number, name, par rating for the tees played, his adjusted score, and date played. If the golfer is a non-member of the club played, his entry is written on an "away sheet" (sometimes called a "green sheet") and must include the additional entry designating his home course. In both cases, the score posting sheet must be delivered or mailed to the local golf association for manual entry of the scores for each golfer into the database of the golf association's computer system.
The manual method for entering golf scores is gradually being replaced by a computerized entry system wherein a golfer can input his score after playing a round of golf via a computer. The computerized entry system usually requires the golfer to manually input via a separate 100-key computer keyboard his membership identification number, the adjusted score for that particular round of golf played, the tees used, the tournament status, and other pertinent information. The inputting of this information, by a golfer who is a member of the country club where his entry is being made, can take approximately 14 to 24 key strokes on a keyboard for a single golfer's entry. If a golfer is not a member at the golf country club where his entry is being made, then he must also type in his name and home course which increases the number of key strokes required for the golfer's entry to a total of approximately 38 to 48 key strokes.
As computer keyboards are complicated by the multi-purpose keys which can effectively increase the number of functions each of the 100 keys on the keyboard can perform, the inputting of data by a golfer via such a keyboard is time consuming and often confusing, especially to golfers who are not familiar with the layout of a conventional computer keyboard. Further confusion is added by the presentation of approximately six or more entry screens displayed by the computer's monitor during the inputting process for each of the golfer's entries.
As a result, many golf country clubs feel such computer systems are too complicated for their members and mandate that only the golf professional or his assistants are authorized to use the computer system. The golf professional must manually input the information for each of the golfers which is normally provided to the professional on a golfer's handwritten score card or handwritten sheet. This process is time consuming, tedious, expensive, subject to unauthorized entries, and subject to error, be it intentional or accidental.
Consequently, several computerized golf scoring systems have been devised in the past. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,744, issued to McGeary on May 19, 1981, discloses a system for use in cooperation with identification cards incorporating a magnetic stripe which functions to preserve a record and control the effect of scoring data, such as a golfer's handicap. The McGeary system includes two components, a player unit and an office unit. The player unit processes the data on the identification card to issue score cards and indicate a player's handicap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,131 issued to McGeary et al. on Mar. 9, 1982, discloses a system for use in cooperation with record cards and identification cards to indicate scoring data. In McGeary et al.'s system, the record cards incorporate a magnetic stripe and preserve duplicate printed and magnetic records of scoring data including a golfer's handicap. The McGeary et al system includes an operating unit with a card printer. A player's data is entered for processing and for entry on a record card and for use in issuing identification cards that indicate a player's handicap.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,494 issued to Baumoel on May 23, 1972, discloses a golf computer for computing the handicap of a golfer from information corresponding to golf scores and course ratings entered on a conventional punch card. The machine performs its function by reading the information stored on the punch card and by using solid-state and the electro-mechanical devices to derive the handicap defined by the United States Golf Association.
All of the systems described above require the entry of data either through a keyboard or by a data storage card that must make physical contact with a card reader. The use of cards with magnetic stripes for storing data has proven to be problematic as the capacity for storing data is limited and because the magnetic stripe is easily damaged, resulting in a limited life span of such cards. Further, most systems utilizing cards with a magnetic stripe are limited to having read only data stored on the magnetic stripe since in order to write data into the magnetic stripe, the magnetic stripe would first need to be erased by an erasing means and new data would be written into the magnetic stripe by a writing means. Magnetic read-write card readers are available but these are expensive, are subject to unauthorized printing of bogus credit cards, have low reliability, and require high maintenance to service its mechanical rollers, pulleys, springs, and magnetic heads. Also, the magnetic stripe has the inherent limitations of becoming easily erased when it is exposed to magnetic fields and can be easily damaged by scratching or by being exposed to other harmful elements, thus significantly reducing the longevity of the magnetic stripe. A magnetic stripe is further limited in the amount of information which may be stored in the magnetic stripe as a result of its size. As a consequence, the magnetic stripe either needs to be relatively large or multiple magnetic stripes are required which in turn would also require a read-write card reader having separate, erase, read and write heads for each stripe.
None of the prior computerized golf scoring systems provide a golf handicap entry system wherein a golfer has a electronic card capable of storing all of a golfer's pertinent information that can be read remotely by a computer without any physical contact with the computer system such that all of the pertinent information is automatically entered into the computer. Further, none of the prior golf scoring systems provide for the entry of a golfer's score without the use of a separate keyboard and none provide the golfer with a handicap card whereby the current handicap index is automatically updated and stored on the golfer's electronic card. Further still, none of the prior computerized golf scoring systems provide for a multimedia system wherein a golfer may enter his score and other pertinent information via a touch-screen monitor wherein the touch-screen monitor also functions to display video and interactive programs when the touch-screen is not being used for the entry of a golfer's score.